Scott Verplank makes his debut in this year’s Ryder Cup and is greeted by the worst of the Irish weather. The rain is teeming down and Verplank loses his drive into the trees to the right and has no shot. Zach Johnson splits the fairway with his drive and the European duo of Padraig Harrington and Henrik Stenson both find the fairway. Stenson’s nine iron approach clings to the front edge of the green but Harrington misses right. Stenson’s putt horseshoes out and fellow Ryder Cup rookie Johnson capitalises by holing for a winning birdie. USA one-up

2

413

4

The Americans keep the pressure on at the second. Verplank and Johnson both hit their approaches to two and a half feet of the pin, Verplank to the right and Johnson below the hole. Stenson looks out of it after finishing short of the green in two but stuns everybody by pitching in – the second time Europe have done so already this morning. Johnson sinks his putt to halve the hole with birdies.

3

170

3

Johnson sets up the opportunity for a third straight birdie after hitting the closest tee shot at the first par three. However, the rookie’s 12 foot putt slips past the right hand side and the hole is halved in pars.

4

568

5

Johnson, who is playing nothing like a rookie, continued his great form to make birdie. Harrington’s putt was conceded to leave the US one-up.

5

440

4

America’s star performer of the morning, Zach Johnson, delivers a brilliant second shot to six feet below the pin. The Europeans have their backs against the wall. Harrington, stuck in the primary rough down the left, fashions a brilliant recovery to eight feet left of the hole, the perfect side for putting. The Irishman holes a dead straight putt for an unlikely birdie that brings a massive roar from the partisan home crowd. Johnson now faces a clutch putt and duly holes it for a half. Johnson punches the air and the US head to the sixth tee with the honour.

6

478

4

Stenson's power comes into its own at the long par four. After finding the rough off the tee, the Swede muscled a tremendous recovery shot to the front portion of the green and two-putted for a par, which was good enough to level the match. Europe are now two-up in three matches and all square in this one

7

430

4

Remains all square after Verplank holes a short putt to halve the hole in four. The US pairing have had four birdies in seven holes - two more than the total accrued by their six team-mates ahead.

8

173

3

Europeans hand the hole to their opponents after both making bogey at the short eighth. Harrington enjoyed both good and bad luck, first seeing his tee shot strike the rocks beside the River Liffey and ricocheting back into play, and then watching as his par putt horseshoed out.

9

461

4

Stenson makes his par and neither Verplank or Johnson could sink their birdie efforts. The US pair head into the back nine one-up, the only bright spot on an indifferent morning for Tom Lehman's side.

10

584

5

The rain is now hammering down but it fails to dampen Johnson's spirit. The US Ryder Cup rookie holes a right-to-left putt for his fifth birdie in ten holes and Harrington misses from just off the fringe to send the Americans two-up.

11

415

4

Hole halved in par.

12

182

3

Johnson drained another short putt to keep the Americans' two-hole cushion.

13

428

4

Stenson reacts with incredulity as his 30 foot birdie putt hits the back of the hole and bounces out. Johnson lags his putt up and makes par to halve the hole.

14

213

3

Harrington nearly holes from short of the green but has to settle for a par. No-one could better a three and the Europeans remain two-down.

15

446

4

The Europeans could really do with reducing the deficit before the treacherous stretch through 16 to 18. However, Johnson has other ideas and his raking long iron finishes 17 feet from the cup. Harrington has to go for it but pushes his approach right of the green. The cheers are heard all around the Palmer Course as Darren Clarke chips in at the 16th to defeat Woods and Furyk. Harrington then becomes the fourth European - and the second Irishman in the space of a few minutes - to chip in during the morning fourballs. Crucially, Johnson kept his composure to hole from 17 feet. Hole halved in birdies.

16

555

5

Not to be deterred, Harrington manages to reach the 16th green in two but is a long way from the pin. Both Americans lay-up and Verplank is best placed, just below pin high and around 18 feet away. Harrington lags his first putt to around three feet and when Verplank misreads his effort, the Irishman converts his for a birdie. The Americans's lead is now one hole with two to play.

17

424

4

The 17th tee is not for faint hearts, but all four produced courageous shots to find the fairway. Verplank hit his second pin high, to 18 feet, while Harrington, coming in from 149 yards, fired at the pin but was half a club too short. After a monster drive, Stenson had just 130 in and his wedge was right at it before the spin took the ball away. Harrington, from 25 foot, and Stenson watched as their putts pulled up short and they could do no better than par. The United States had two for a match-wnning half but the in-form Johnson required only one, holing his chip from off the green to give his side their first win of the second day.